Jacksonville Restaurant Blog

IN THE NEWS: Times-Union columnist Dan MacDonald reports the closing of Crush, the Park Street bistro on the outskirts of Avondale near the FCCJ Kent Campus, and the openings of Flavors Indian Restaurant on Baymeadows Road in the Bailey's Power House Fitness Center and Bread & Butter at 201 Laura St.. ... He also reports that Barry Owens and Scott Abrams have taken over the bar and theater portion of 9th & Main restaurant. jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews b.b.’s in San Marco and chats with chef Mike Barbour from Zaitoon. eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

After 20-Year Run, IHOP Flips Last Flapjack

2007-09-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The IHOP restaurant on University Boulevard served its last pancake breakfasts Sept. 13, the Jacksonville Business Journal reports. After about 20 years at 5221 University Blvd. the International House of Pancakes closed to make room for a Home Depot Store. jacksonville.bizjournals.com ... The Florida Times-Union's Erica Burks reviews Chew (117 W. Adams St., 904-355-3793). jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews Moon River Pizza (925 S 14th St Fernandina Beach, 904-321-3400 & 1176 Edgewood Ave S, Murray Hill Area, 904-389-4442). eujacksonville.com ... Blogger TasteMemory.com visits the newly opened Flavors: Essence of India (9550 Baymeadows Rd, Jacksonville, 904-733-1525, jaxflavors.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Reviewers Consider Atlantic, Ale House

2007-09-11T05:21:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Times-Union's A.J. Foley reviews sushi joint The Atlantic (333 First St. N., Jacksonville Beach, 904-249-3338, www.the-atlantic.com). jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews The Ale House, and the paper also rounds up sports bars, including Kickbacks (910 King Street in Riverside). eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

'Jacksonville' Magazine Selects Top 25

2007-09-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

Jacksonville magazine's jacksonvillemag.com September 2007 edition spotlights its Top 25 Restaurants for 2007, while critic Larry Lazar reviews Picasso's Pizzeria 10601 San Jose Blvd, 880-0811). The Top 25 list:

b.b.'s (1019 Hendricks Ave, San Marco, 306-0100)
Biscottis (3556 St. Johns Ave, Avondale, 387-2060, biscottis.net)
Bistro Aix (1440 San Marco Blvd., San Marco, 398-1949, bistrox.com)
Blue Bamboo (3820 Southside Blvd, 646-1478, bluebamboojacksonville.com)
Brick (3585 St. John's Ave., Avondale, 387-0606).
Cobblestones at the Creek (108 Julington Plaza Dr., Julington Creek, 230-6744, Cobblestonesatthecreek.com)
The Corner Brasserie (1430 San Marco Blvd., San Marco, 396-1414, thecornerbrasserie.com)
Crush (3630 Park St., Avondale, 381-0909, crushbistro.net)
Dwight's (1527 Penman Road, Jacksonville Beach, 241-4496), dwightsbistro.com)
Eleven South (216 11th Ave. S., Jacksonville Beach, 241-1112), elevensouth.com)
Giovanni's (1161 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach, 249-7787, giovannirestaurant.com)
Lemongrass Restaurant (9846 Old Baymeadows Road, Deerwood, 645-9911, lemongrassjax.com)
Matthew's at San Marco (2107 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, 396-9922)
Mezza Luna (110 N. First St., Neptune Beach, 249-5573, mezzalunaneptunebeach.com)
Mossfire Grill (1537 Margaret St., Riverside, 355-4434, mossfire.com)
Ocean 60 (60 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 247-0060, ocean60.com)
Pastiche (4260 Herschel St., Avondale, 387-6213, mypastiche.com)
Pom's Thai Bistro (1974 San Marco Blvd., San Marco, 338-0269)
Ragtime Tavern (207 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 241-7877, ragtimetavern.com)
River City Brewing Co. (835 Museum Circle, Southbank, 398-2299, rivercitybrew.com)
The Row Restaurant (Riverdale Inn, 1521 Riverside Ave., 354-5080, riverdaleinn.com)
Sorrento Italian Restaurant (6943 St. Augustine Road, Manadrin, 636-9196)
Sterlings of Avondale (3551 St. Johns Ave., Avondale , 387-0700, sterlings.com)
Tento Churrascaria (528 N. First St., Jacksonville Beach, 246-1580, tentochurrascaria.com)
Wine Cellar (1314 Prudential Drive, Southbank, 398-8989, winecellarjax.com)

IN THE NEWS: Florida Trend magazine's September 2007 issue notes the transformation of the Ritz-Carlton's Grill Room to a new fine dining room called Salt (4750 Amelia Island Parkway, Amelia Island, 904/277-1100). floridatrend.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews Cortessés Bistro and Flamingo Room. eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Capital Grille, Shula's 347 Eye Jacksonville

2007-08-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Capital Grille has confirmed it plans to move into the Jacksonville market, and Shula's 347 Grill may be coming. Two restaurants here already, Ruth's Chris Steak House and Plaza III The Steakhouse, are expanding, the Jacksonville Business Journal reports. Shula's 347 Grill, named after football coach Don Shula's 347 career victories, has advertised in trade publications that it will build its fifth location inside a hotel to be built on Gate Parkway on the Southside. Developers of St. Johns Town Center recently announced that The Capital Grille, which has locations in 16 states, including four in Florida, will be among the new tenants in the second phase of the center scheduled to start opening late this year. Ruth's Chris Steak House is expanding its Ponte Vedra Beach restaurant from 160 seats to 235 seats along with a private room and a semi-private room in a project expected to be completed in October. The Ruth's Chris in the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront hotel on the Southbank also is being remodeled. jacksonville.bizjournals.com ... The Florida Times-Union's Erika Burks reviews Mickler's Bistro (1108 A1A, Suite #106, Ponte Vedra Beach, 904-285-2433). jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews Palm Garden. eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Vienna Garden Set to Open in Riverside

2007-08-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: FolioWeekly.com reports Vienna Garden Restaurant & Beer Garden will open in two weeks inside the convenient-store-looking building at Forbes and King in Riverside. ... EU Jacksonville is out with its Fall 2007 Dining Guide. eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Homestead To Remain Open After All

2007-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a booming business after its imminent closing was announced, The Homestead's ownership has decided to remain open, FirstCoastNews.com's Lindy Thackston reports. Owners had announced the restaurant was closing Aug. 13 because of financial struggles due to construction on Beach Boulevard. Restaurant owners say they've already lost $156,000 in sales this year. The Homestead will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 14, and will reopen on Wednesday, Aug. 15. The restaurant has had a record week in sales since closing plans were announced, and owners say they need to keep business booming to get back on track. Property owner Hank Woodburn says The Homestead will not serve lunch until the road is repaired, and dinner will be family-style platters, which saves on employees and payroll. There will soon be additional parking in the back. Adventure Landing is going to provide marketing and accounting help. Additional restaurant staff also must be hired.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Native Sun Natural Market Cafe Debuts

2007-08-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Times-Union's DanMacDonald reports the opening of Native Sun Natural Market Cafe in Brooks Health & Fitness, 10423 Centurion Parkway in Southside. ... Erika Burks reviews Bourbon Bayou (2 Independent Drive, The Jacksonville Landing). jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews Matthew's (2107 Hendrix Avenue). eujacksonville.com ... JacksonvilleConfidential.blogspot.com visits Hot Rods.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Beloved Homestead Announces Closing

2007-08-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Homestead Restaurant in Jacksonville Beach will close its doors Aug. 14, after more than 60 years of operation, the Beaches Leader reports. The popular Beach Boulevard restaurant, which is housed in a log cabin, has lost business due to ongoing road work outside its front door, according to owner Teresa Pratt. Widening of Beach Bouelvard has meant mounds of dirt, heavy equipment and countless barricades in at the restaurant’s entrance, making it tough for customers to enter the business, Pratt said. beachesleader.com ... Larry's Giant Subs Inc. is planning to add more than 400 franchised restaurants over the next 10 years by expanding into the Midwest and Atlanta, the Jacksonville Business Journal reports. The first Larry's restaurant was opened in Jacksonville in 1982, and there are now more than 100 locations in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. ... The Times-Union's A.G. Foley reviews Cheeburger Cheeburger (9902 Old Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville), while Dan McDonald previews Downtown Dining Week (Aug. 20-26). ... McDonald reports the closings of Cellar Grille & Tavern and the nightclub Deep Blue at The Jacksonville Landing. A new Cellar Grille & Tavern, however, has opened at 116 Bartram Oaks Walk at the corner of Race Track Road and Florida 13. ... He also report the addition of dinner beginning Aug. 9 at the hip lunch spot Chew on West Adams Street. jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews Zaitoon Grill (13475 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 40, Jacksonville). eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Boomtown Resurfacing in San Marco

2007-07-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Times-Union's Dan MacDonald reports, "Boomtown plans to make some noise again in early September when it reopens as Faye Wood's Boomtown Bistro at 1520 Hendricks Ave. Boomtown closed its Hemming Plaza location in early June when the building was sold. Boomtown owner Stephen Dare had planned to take a year off but found the San Marco spot and couldn't resist. The new restaurant will feature much from the old Boomtown menu but will only be open for dinner on Friday and Saturday and for lunch Monday through Saturday." ... "Behind the torn-up roads and mounds of dirt on Beach Boulevard, the Homestead restaurant is still open. This longtime Beaches favorite is suffering through what seems like a never-ending road project, according to co-owner Teresa Brown-Pratt. She said her business is down $126,000 since the first of the year because customers are avoiding that area." ... A.G. Foley reviews The Armadillo Grill and Oyster Bar (96008 Wades Place, Fernandina Beach). jacksonville.com ... Columbus, Ohio-based Max & Erma's Restaurants Inc. plans to build 15 to 30 restaurants per year over the next five years in Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee and Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Business Journal reports. Officials hope to choose franchisees in each market by the end of 2007 in order to start building the first sites in 2008. ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews the new wine bar Tastings (1515 Prudential Drive, next to Chart House, awineexperience.com). eujacksonville.com ... Jacksonville magazine's August 2007 edition looks at brewpubs, including River City Brewing Company (835 Museum Circle, Southbank, rivercitybrew.com) while reviewing Sliders Seaside Grill (1998 S. Fletcher Ave., Fernandina Beach) and noting Brown Brothers BBQ (1522 King St.). ... The mag also notes the openings of Preservation Tap & Chophouse in Avondale, Botan Japanese Cuisine on the Southside, Galangal in Ponte Vedra, and Tastings. jacksonvillemag.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Food Network Sets New 'Iron Chef' Finalists

2007-07-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Food Network has announced its eight finalists to compete in The Next Iron Chef, which premieres Oct. 7 (7 pm CT). The eight: John Besh (New Orleans), executive chef, Restaurant August, Besh Steak, Lüke, La Provence; Chris Cosentino (San Francisco), executive chef, Incanto; Jill Davie (Santa Monica, Calif.), executive chef, Josie; Traci Des Jardins (San Francisco), executive chef and co-owner, Jardinière, Mijita, Acme Chophouse; Gavin Kaysen (San Diego), chef de cuisine, El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn; Morou Ouattara (Washington, D.C.), executive chef and owner, Farrah Olivia; Aarón Sánchez (New York City), executive chef and owner, Centrico, Paladar; Michael Symon (Cleveland), executive chef and owner, Lola, Lolita.

IN THE NEWS: The Times-Union's Erika Burks reviews Bangkok Thai Cuisine (1401 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach). jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews J.L. Trent’s. eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Chicago Pizza and Sports Grille Reviewed

2007-07-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Times-Union's Erika Burks reviews Chicago Pizza and Sports Grille (8206 Philips Highway), while columnist Dan MacDonald takes a Food Network producer out to eat at Mojo Barbecue. jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews Caribbean Sunrise Bakery & Restaurant (4106 N. Main Street). eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Hey, Mister: Bojangles Dancing Back to Fla.

2007-07-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: Seventeen years after closing all its Florida restaurants, Bojangles Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits plans to expand back into the state by opening 200 restaurants between Jacksonville and Orlando over the next five years, the Jacksonville Business Journal reports. ... The Times-Union's Erika Burks reviews Heirlooms Culinary Cafe & Market (9548 San Jose Blvd.). jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews Mackenzies Steakhouse and Piano Bar (100 Sawgrass Village Drive, mackenziessteakhouse.com). ... The paper also features 10 restaurants with artwork, including bb’s (1019 Hendricks Avenue, San Marco). eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

'Jacksonville' Mag Interviews Paula Deen

2007-07-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: Jacksonville magazine's July 2007 issue interviews Southern food goddess Paula Deen, and reviews 35-year-old Jacksonville Beach institution Giovanni's Bar & Grill. The mag also spends a "perfect" day in St. Augustine, stopping by The Bunnery (121 St. George St), Collage (60 Hypolita Drive), Claude's Chocolate (15 Hypolita St.) , and Kingfish Grill (252 Yacht Club Dr). jacksonvillemag.com ... The Times-Union's A.G. Foley reviews Brown Brothers BBQ (1522 King St., Jacksonville). ... Columnist Dan MacDonald reports, "Wine tasting is going high tech at the new shop Tastings: A Wine Experience. Located on the Southbank between The Chart House and the Wyndham Hotel, this is a retail wine shop, as well as a wine bar. Owner Peter Miller explained that customers can load a Tastings card much like you would a game card at Dave & Buster's. Slide the card into the wine-tasting kiosks, which dispense a 1-ounce taste, a half glass or a full glass of wine, and the machine deducts the price from the card. The wine dispensers have 64 wines loaded at all times (the other 64 wines in the shop can be added to a spot to be tasted upon request)." jacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Dare's Boomtown Closes, Hopes to Reopen

2007-06-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: EU Jacksonville's eujacksonville.com Jon Bosworth reports on the closing of chef Stephen Dare's downtown restaurant and performance venue Boomtown, which he hopes to reopen at the end of the summer in Springfield or somewhere else in the downtown area .... Erin Thursby reviews The Tasting Room (25 Cuna Street, St. Augustine) San Antonio-based Church's Chicken, operator and franchiser of more than 1,600 fast-food chicken restaurants in 18 countries, announced a new partnership with a business brokerage outfit that will accelerate its new store opening program through strategic franchisee-recruitment methods, CoStar.com reports. Markets targeted for growth include Jacksonville, Orlando, Alanta, Indianapolis, Detroit, Raleigh/Durham, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Nashville. ... The Times-Union's jacksonville.com Erica Burks reviews The Springfield Station Bar & Grill (1544 N. Main St.).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Takeout Services on the Rise

2007-06-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

Time-pressed Americans' push for more food to go is reshaping the way restaurants do business, USA Today's Bruce Horovitz usatoday.com reports. Well over half of the meals purchased at the nation's estimated 935,000 restaurants are eaten at home, back at the office or in the car. Twenty five years ago, far more people ate restaurant food in eatries than took it out. By 2006, the typical American ate 81 meals inside restaurants but ordered 127 to go, reports researcher NPD group. The paper cites increased takeout services at a number of national chains, including Cheesecake Factory, Outback Steakhouse and P.F. Chang's, as well as Washington, D.C.'s historic Old Ebbitt Grill.

IN THE NEWS: The Times-Union's Erika Burks reviews Preservation Tap & Chophouse (3951 St. Johns Ave.), as does Erin Thursby of EU Jacksonville. ... The paper also rounds up area barbecue joints. eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Diners Say: We Want Less

2007-06-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

A survey of more than 4,000 diners finds that a substantial majority believes restaurant portions are too big. Fifty-seven percent said portions were too large; 20 percent said they were too small; and the 23 percent who had no opinion apparently thought they were just right. The results, reported in Nation's Restaurant News, an industry trade journal, were heavily skewed by gender and income. Sixty-seven percent of women believed portions were too large, while only forty-seven percent of men reached the same conclusion. Meanwhile, sixty percent of respondents making between $100,000 and $150,000 said portions were oversized. And that figure rose to seventy percent among those making more than $150,000. In contrast, and perhaps not surprisingly, only twenty-seven percent of those with incomes under $25,000 thought portions were too large.

IN THE NEWS: Cameron Mitchell thinks his Mitchell's Fish Market restaurant chain is poised to be the second-largest premium seafood chain in the country. Cameron Mitchell Restaurants LLC, based in Columbus, Ohio, is exploring the sale of the 16-unit Fish Market chain and has hired Minneapolis-based investment banking firm Piper Jaffray & Co. to help sort out potential suitors, the Cincinnati Business Courier reports. Cameron Mitchell Restaurants has 30 restaurants in eight states. The restaurant group has three more Mitchell's Fish Markets scheduled to open this year in Sandestin, Fla., Jacksonville, and Stamford, Conn. ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews the small plates at Urban Flats (330 A1A N., Ponte Vedra). eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Mangrove Island, Back Porch Reviewed

2007-06-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Times-Union's A.G. Foley reviews Mangrove Island Grille (3546 St. Johns Bluff Road S.). jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews Back Porch Cafe (3031 Monument Rd). eujacksonville.com ... Forbes Traveler forbestraveler.com recently asked asking a panel of food and travel experts for their take on the top hotel dining in the country. The top 15 chosen include: The Peabody Memphis and its upscale restaurant, Chez Philippe; Four Seasons Hotel and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon restaurant in New York City; Jean Georges, Trump International Hotel and Tower, New York; Gordon Ramsay, The London hotel in New York; The Carlyle Restaurant, The Carlyle Hotel in New York; Cathe St. Regis Hotel and Ame restaurant in San Francisco; Michael Mina, Westin St. Francis in San Francisco; Cortez in the Hotel Adagio, San Francisco; Studio Restaurant, Montage, Laguna Beach; the Beverly Wilshire and Cut restaurant in Los Angeles; The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Va.; The Wynn Las Vegas; Citronelle, Latham Hotel in Washington, DC.; Azul at Mandarin Oriental hotel in Miami.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Starbucks Launching McCartney's Newest

2007-05-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: If you can't stand Paul McCartney music, you don't want to go into any of the many Jacksonville-area Starbucks on June 5. That's the day the Seattle coffee giant will launch McCartney's first album recorded on Starbucks' Hear Music label, called "Memory Almost Full," the Pugent Sound Business Journal reports. The album will be played in all Starbucks stores, all day, all over the world, Starbucks officials said. "Customers from Taipei to Topeka have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary album all within a span of 24 hours," said Ken Lombard, who is president of Starbucks Entertainment and runs Hear Music, in a statement. In March, Starbucks Corp. announced that former Beatle McCartney would be the first musician signed for Los Angeles-based Hear Music. ... The Times-Union's Erika Burks reviews Soul Food Bistro (5310 Lenox Ave.). jacksonville.com ... Jacksonville magazine's June 2007 issue reviews chef/co-owner Howard Kirk Jr.'s Spanish eatery Sangria House (4320 Deerwood Lake Pkwy) and also blurbs the new Ham's Restaurant (4530 St. Johns Ave.) and bakery/deli/chocolate cafe Been There Dipped That (7860 Gate Pkwy). jacksonvillemag.com ... St. Augustine's Raintree Restaurant is reviewed by EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby. eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Fiddler's Green Tops Taste of St. Augustine

2007-05-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: Folio Weekly reports recent Taste of St. Augustine winners included: Fiddler's Green, People's Choice Award; Old City House, Best Upscale Dining; High Tide Cafe, Best Family Dining; Kingfish Grill, Best Ethnic Dining; and Susan "The Fudge Lady" Musgrove, Best Dessert. folioweekly.com ... Jacksonville Business Journal reports, "The café inside the Main library Downtown opened for business (May 14), about a year and a half after the library itself opened. Shelby's had a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included Mayor John Peyton. Owner Steve Hicks will have the shop open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The menu will include coffee, bagels, eggs, salads and sandwiches. Food and covered drinks are allowed in the noncarpeted areas of the library, including the ground floor and the second-floor courtyard. Hicks' mother, Shelby Hicks, opened the original Shelby's at the Beach in 1994." ... The Memphis Business Journal reports, "Jacksonville-based fast-casual chain Firehouse Subs is adding two Memphis locations this year and 15-19 over the next five years. Firehouse Restaurant Group, Inc., the parent company of Firehouse Subs, has 268 units nationwide and plans to add 100 stores in 2007. ... The Times-Union's Erika Burks reviews fondue joint The Melting Pot (7860 Gate Parkway, #101). jacksonville.com ... EU Jacksonville's Erin Thursby reviews Cafe Nola, inside the Museum of Contemporary Art on Hemming Plaza. eujacksonville.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

America's Best Restaurant Cities

2007-05-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

"Today ... most major cities in the U.S. have the kind of gastronomic diversity and regionality that is rich in every department, and even if you’ve visited recently, you can be sure that next time you go, there’ll be more new and enticing restaurants than you could possibly visit," writes Donald Burnam in a recent ForbesTraveler.com piece, "America's Best Restaurant Cities." "It’s getting hard not to have a great meal anywhere in the U.S.." Burnam continues.

Forbes' Top 10 Restaurant Cities:
1. New York City
2. Chicago
3. San Francisco
4. Los Angeles
5. New Orleans
6. Houston
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Atlanta
9. Boston
10. Las Vegas

Rankings were based on: Overall number of restaurants above the fast food level; Number of fine dining restaurants with national and international standing; Solid representation of regional American food; A wide segment of second-tier restaurants that would include seafood, steakhouses, and independently chef-owned restaurants; Breadth and depth of ethnic restaurants, especially if the city has neighborhood such as a Chinatown; A significant number of neigborhood restaurants where the locals tend to eat out regularly; A well-traveled clientele that regards eating out in that city one of the real pleasures of going there.

IN THE NEWS: Times-Union critic Erika Burks reviews Otaki Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, 7860-119 Gate Parkway. jacksonville.com.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

James Beard Awards Announced

2007-05-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Chicago's Frontera Grill won Outstanding Restaurant of the Year and Michel Richard of Michel Richard Citronelle in Washington, D.C. was named Outstanding Chef at the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony. Hosted by CBS Early Show anchor Hannah Storm, the Beard Awards were held May 7 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York's Lincoln Center. More than 60 awards were presented by the country's pre-eminent nonprofit culinary organization, in its 20th anniversary celebration, and more than 1,600 industry leaders attended the ceremony. Other top awards went to: New York's L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, named Best New Restaurant; Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Yountville, Ca.) received the award for Outstanding Restaurateur; and David Chang (Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York) received the Rising Star Chef of the Year award. Celebrity and culinary superstar attendees included Stephanie March, Ted Allen, Katie Lee Joel, Martha Stewart, Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller, Jose Andres, Tom Colicchio, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Padma Lakshmi, and Marcus Samuelsson. The Foundation's Media Awards took place at a separate event at the Hudson Theatre at Millennium Broadway Hotel on May 6. All Award winners received a bronze medallion etched with the image of the late James Beard, the esteemed chef, cookbook author, and food journalist. There are no cash awards. Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognizes outstanding achievement within the fine food and beverage industry in North America. For full awards results, please visit http://www.jamesbeard.org.

Beard Award highlights are:

AMERICA'S CLASSICS: Primanti Brothers, Demetrios Patrinos, Pittsburgh, Pa.; The Pickwick, Christopher Wisocki, Duluth, Minn.; Doe's Eat Place, The Signa Family, Greenville, Miss.; Aunt Carrie's, Elsie Foy, Narragansett, R.I.; I

Brookville Hotel, Mark and Connie Martin, Abilene, Kan.; Weaver D's, Dexter Weaver, Athens, Ga.

BEST CHEF, GREAT LAKES: Grant Achatz, Alinea, Chicago

BEST CHEF, MID-ATLANTIC: R.J. Cooper, III, Vidalia, Washington, DC

BEST CHEF, MIDWEST: Celina Tio, The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo.

BEST CHEF, NEW YORK CITY: David Waltuck, Chanterelle, New York, NY

BEST CHEF, NORTHEAST: Frank McClelland, L'Espalier, Boston

BEST CHEF, NORTHWEST: John Sundstrom, Lark, Seattle

BEST CHEF, PACIFIC: Traci Des Jardins, Jardinière, San Francisco

BEST CHEF, SOUTH: Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

BEST CHEF, SOUTHEAST: Scott Peacock, Watershed, Decatur, Ga.

BEST CHEF, SOUTHWEST: Nobuo Fukuda, Sea Saw, Scottsdale, Ariz.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Chef-Owner: Joël Robuchon, New York, NY

OUTSTANDING CHEF: Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF: Michael Laskonis, Le Bernardin, New York, NY

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT: Frontera Grill, chef-owner: Rick and Deann Bayless, Chicago

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR: Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE: Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, and Richard Melman, Tru, Chicago

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL: Paul Draper, Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, Calif.

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE: Mark Slater, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR: David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York, NY

IN THE NEWS: A South Florida restaurant chain specializing in chicken wings will open a Jacksonville location, the first of 24 planned restaurants in Northeast Florida, the Jacksonville Business Journal reports: "Hurricane Grill and Wings will open its first Jacksonville restaurant in June. The chain has 15 restaurants across Florida, but its ambitious expansion plans go far beyond Jacksonville. Hurricane Grill and Wings plans to open 400 new restaurants in the next five years. Its initial focus, beyond Florida, is on Nevada and Georgia." ... The Times-Union reviews Zaitoon Mediterranean Grill, 13475 Atlantic Blvd. in Jacksonville ... EU Jacksonville reviews the popular local Mexican chain La Noparela. ... The Orlando Business Journal reports the seven-restaurant chain of Columbia restaurants announced last week it was pulling all Florida grouper dishes from its menu in response to concerns over the quality and authenticity of the fish being sold in Florida restaurants. In recent weeks the state Attorney General's Office has fined Florida restaurants it says were substituting cheaper fish and selling it as the mild-flavored, flaky coastal water fish that sells for about $20 a pound. The Tampa-based restaurant chain, which includes one located in Celebration, has replaced its grouper sandwich with a mahi-mahi sandwich and their dinner entree with a dish of Maine lobster and blue crabmeat on pasta. The Columbia Restaurant celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2005. Locations include the flagship restaurant in Tampa's historic Ybor City, St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, the historic district in St. Augustine, The Pier in St. Petersburg, Sand Key on Clearwater Beach, Central Florida's town of Celebration and in West Palm Beach at CityPlace.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

James Beard Awards Await

2007-04-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

Roughly the dining out equivalent of The Academy Awards, The James Beard Foundation annual awards ceremony takes place Monday, May 7, at the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Go to www.jamesbeard.org for the complete list, but here's a partial list of national nominees:

-- Outstanding Restaurant: Boulevard, San Francisco; Frontera Grill, Chicago; Magnolia Grill, Durham, N.C., Picholine, New York; Spiaggia, Chicago.
-- Best New Restaurant: A Voce, New York City; Chochon, New Orleans; Cut, Beverly Hill, Calif; L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, New York City; Momofuku Ssam Bar, New York City; Restaurant Guy Savoy, Las Vegas.
-- Outstanding Restaurateur: Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif; Keith McNally, Balthazar, New York City; Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (R.J. Grunts, Wildfire, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!), Chicago; Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group (Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Rubicon), New York City; Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean Georges restaurant, New York City.
-- Outstanding Chef: Tom Colicchio, Craft, New York City; Lee Hefter, Spago, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Jean Joho, Everest, Chicago; Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago; Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, D.C.
-- Rising Star Chef: Nate Appleman, A16, San Francisco; Graham Elliot Bowles, Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel, Philadelphia; David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York; Patrick Connelly, Radius, Boston; Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park, New York City.

Restaurant magazine just released its list of the world's top 100 restaurants. (http://www.theworlds50best.com/2007_list.html) Here are the U.S. entries:

The French Laundry, Yountville, Ca. (No. 4)
Per Se, New York City (No. 9)
Jean Georges, New York City (No. 18)
Le Bernardin, New York City (No. 26)
Charlie Trotter's, Chicago (No. 30)
Daniel, New York City (No. 32)
Alinea, Chicago (No. 36)
Chez Panisse, Berkeley, Ca. (No. 40)
Masa, New York City (No. 56)
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the Four Seasons, New York City (No. 64)
Peter Lugar, Brooklyn, NY (No. 69)
Nobu New York, New York City (No. 89)
Gramercy Tavern, New York city (No. 90)
WD-50, New York City (No. 91)
Zuni Café, San Francisco (No. 98)
Alex at Wynn, Las Vegas (No. 100)

IN THE NEWS: Small local coffee kiosk operator Ellianos Coffee Co. has ambitious plans to expand into a regional and later national chain, the Jacksonville Business Journal reports. ... The Times-Union's Erika Burks reviews GQ's at Julington Creek, a Continental restaurant at 12760 San Jose Blvd. (www.jacksonville.com) ... EU Jacksonville reviews Tommy's Pizza, 4160 #2 Southside Boulevard, just down and across the street from Tinseltown (www.eujacksonville.com) ... Blogger jaxopolitan.blogspot.com takes a bite of Big Pete's Pizzeria and Cafe Nola.